Raichur City Corporation in Karnataka has successfully completed a major legacy waste remediation project at the 35-acre Yakalaspura dumpsite under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0) initiative. The project processed 62,252 metric tonnes of accumulated municipal solid waste that had created significant environmental and public health concerns through leachate generation, foul odor, and pollution.
The remediation effort has reclaimed nearly 22 acres of valuable urban land, significantly reducing environmental risks while improving the surrounding landscape. On the reclaimed land, plantation activities commenced on 5 June 2026 with the development of a Miyawaki forest across approximately 5-7 acres in collaboration with Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL) and New India Space Limited. A total of 60,000 saplings including bamboo and other native species have been planted, with expectations of successful afforestation within one year, contributing to soil restoration, carbon sequestration, biodiversity enhancement, and improved air quality.
The transformed site was inaugurated on World Environment Day (5 June 2026) by Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman. The project demonstrates the conversion of a long-standing environmental challenge into a thriving ecological space under the "Toxic Waste to Ecological Wealth" concept, creating a replicable model for garbage-free urban development across India.